Nintendo – Page 10 – Gaming Shift

Handheld gaming was a pretty ambitious goal for developers back in the 80s and 90s. There were a few consoles back then which you could carry over to a friend’s house or on a family trip. But nothing could match the Nintendo Game Boy when it was first released. Yeah, the low-resolution monochrome display with no backlight wasn’t exactly pretty to look at. But the games were excellent, and you got an experience not too far behind that of an NES. Minus the color, and the large TV screen. Nintendo had rivals in the handheld market, some of them even had faster hardware. But the Game Boy had exceptionally good battery life, precisely because of its primitive display tech. And it was smaller than the competition, while also being reasonably priced. The combination of all-day battery life, good control layout, and a pocket-sized form factor made Nintendo’s Game Boy the dominant handheld console. It had a massive game library too. Some of them were ports of NES titles that retained important gameplay features while cutting down on sound and visuals. The legacy of Nintendo’s breakthrough moment in handheld gaming will live on forever. The Game Boy’s impact on modern game development cannot be understated. That’s why I’ve created a list of the top 50 all-time Game Boy games that you must play. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening Developer: Nintendo EADRelease Date: August 1993 This was the first Zelda game ever to be released for a handheld console. Link’s Awakening is the first Zelda game to not feature Princess Zelda, and it doesn’t take place in Hyrule either. Even Yoshi makes a surprise appearance in this game. In the game, you play as Link and you’re stranded on this island called Koholint. There’s a deity who looks like a while, he’s called Wind Fish. You must help Wind Fish escape the island by beating dungeons and solving puzzles. Tetris Developer: Nintendo R&D1Release Date: July 31, 1989 Tetris back then was the perfect game to play on the move. A simple yet extremely engaging falling block puzzle game, and the first of its kind. Tetris is also the most sold Game Boy title ever. Part of the reason this game sold so many copies is that it was bundled with the original Game Boy that was released in 1989. The background music, graphics, and feature set still hold up to this day. Tetris on Game Boy can entertain you for hours on end. Pokémon Red & Blue Developer: Game FreakRelease Date: September 28, 1998 The first Pokémon video game series, originally released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green. Later that year (1996), a special Blue version was released. The games were eventually released in America as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue. In this game you’ve got an overhead view, controlling the protagonist on his journey to becoming a master. At the start, Professor Oak briefs you on the nature of Pokémon. He also introduces you to his grandson who will challenge you to a match, after both of you have chosen one starting Pokémon. You progress by roaming the Kanto region of Japan, which contains various wild Pokémon that you can capture and train. With your collection of Pokémon, you can battle the 8 gym leaders. Then, you can compete against the top 4 trainers of the game known as the Elite Four. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins Developer: Nintendo R&D1Release Date: November 2, 1992 This game introduced us to Wario, the famous anti-hero who gets featured in several Mario games to this day. Super Mario Land 2 sold 10 million copies, becoming one of the most successful Nintendo Game Boy titles ever. In this game, you control Mario as he tries to retake his own island from Wario. You’ve got the usual enemies like Goombas and Koopas, but a few new ones also make an appearance. This Mario game doesn’t reward you with extra lives for collecting coins. Instead, you use these coins to play minigames in designated areas that will give you lives if you win. Castlevania: The Adventure Developer: KonamiRelease Date: December 15, 1989 Castlevania: The Adventure was designed specifically for Nintendo’s Game Boy portable console. It’s the first Castlevania game on Game Boy, and its story takes place nearly a century before the original Castlevania. There is a time limit on each stage, with 4 stages in total. You don’t have any side weapons, but your whip can be upgraded into a chain/ flame whip. Taking damage from enemies will roll back the weapon upgrade, and you get an extra life depending on how many points you collect. Kirby’s Dream Land Developer: HAL LaboratoryRelease Date: August 1, 1992 Masahiro Sakurai wanted this to be easy for newcomers who’ve never played an action platformer before. However, there is an unlockable hard mode for veterans and you can even edit Kirby’s starting HP. Advanced options let you change the number of lives he has. Unlike Mario who jumps on his enemies, Kirby can suck them up. Once you’ve sucked in an enemy, you can spit them out as projectiles or swallow them. Kirby can also fly for brief periods by sucking in a lot of air and inflating himself like a balloon. Donkey Kong Developer: Nintendo EADRelease Date: July 22, 1994 Some fans refer to this game as Donkey Kong ’94, as it’s not exactly a one-to-one port of the original arcade game. Designed for the Game Boy console, this version of Donkey Kong has some extra goodies. Firstly, the character designs for Donkey Kong and Pauline have been updated. In later levels, Mario’s nemesis is assisted by his son Donkey Kong Jr. Donkey Kong ’94 has a lot more levels compared to the original arcade game and at the end, you fight a super-version of Donkey Kong. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 Developer: Nintendo R&D1Release Date: March 13, 1994 So, is it the land of Wario or Mario? Doesn’t matter because both are playable characters for the first time. Wario is the protagonist (an anti-hero, basically evil Mario). There are new features added to this game like Wario’s various helmets that give him unique power-ups. He has a charge attack which is basically a shoulder tackle that can knock enemies off their feet. The Bull Helmet lets Wario hold onto ceilings and stomp anyone passing underneath. Final Fantasy Legend 2 Developer: SquareRelease Date: November 1991 It’s got a pretty generic story typical of old JRPG games. You play as a young kid who’s on a quest to search for their missing father. In the beginning, you can choose from 8 different premade characters. Each main character has a unique race and gender, and you roam with a party of up to 4 people total. Random encounters are placed between various areas, and you will find NPCs in towns or castles who give you info/ quests. Gargoyle’s Quest Developer: CapcomRelease Date: July 1990 A spin-off game derived from Ghosts ‘n Goblins, you play as Firebrand. You are tasked with protecting the Ghoul Realm from an invasive force known simply as “Destroyers”. You will find that Gargoyle’s Quest has quite a lot of variety when it comes to gameplay. First off, the camera view switches between overhead and side-view. Overhead view is engaged when you’re roaming around towns talking with ghouls, side-view is engaged for platforming sections. There are items that buff your abilities and grant you new powers. Kid Icarus: Of Myths And Monsters Developer: Nintendo R&D1Release Date: November 5, 1991 The first Kid Icarus was a platformer released for NES; this is a sequel to that game designed for Nintendo’s Game Boy handheld. Even though the title says, “Kid Icarus” you don’t actually play as him. Instead, you play as a legendary soldier called “Pit” who is summoned by the Greek goddess Palutena. Pit’s character is basically Icarus in every way except for the name. At the end of the game, he too flies too close to the sun and loses his wings. Your primary weapon is a magical bow that can fire endless volleys of arrows. While navigating the 2D side-scroller levels, you’ve got to be on the lookout for traps and hidden enemies. Kid Dracula Developer: KonamiRelease Date: March 1993 This game is a spinoff based on the Castlevania series of video games, featuring Dracula as a child. He hasn’t discovered the full extent of his vampiric powers just yet but is still a force to be reckoned with. Kid Dracula has you fighting your way through 8 stages, each with its own unique boss. Kirby’s Dream Land 2 Developer: HAL LaboratoryRelease Date: May 1, 1995 A continuation of Kirby’s Dream Land and Kirby’s Adventure. This game follows the adventures of Kirby as he attempts to restore peace to his homeworld. Dark Matter is an evil entity that has stolen the Rainbow Bridges and possessed King Dedede. You’re assisted by 3 animal friends who all have unique powers to assist you with various sections of each level. Kirby himself is capable of running, flying, and swimming. Companions enhance your existing abilities, like Rick the Hamster who you can ride to go faster and not slip on ice. Harvest Moon GB Developer: Victor Interactive SoftwareRelease Date: August 12, 1998 The Harvest Moon series of games is a staple on retro Nintendo game consoles. It’s basically a farming simulator in which you can do all sorts of random stuff on your own ranch. Like purchasing and rearing cattle, growing crops, developing the land, etc. At the start, you can select a name and gender for your character who is then visited by the ghost of their grandfather. Grandpa asks you to take over ownership of his farm, and he will check back every winter to judge your progress. Mega Man V Developer: Minakuchi EngineeringRelease Date: September 1994 Unique to the Game Boy console, Mega Man V isn’t just a downgraded port of the original NES game. The general storyline carries over, and you still play as Mega Man. But bosses have been replaced from top to bottom, both in terms of story and design. The main draw of Mega Man V is its non-linear level design that lets you tackle bosses in random sequences. You don’t have to beat the first boss to play the second stage, you can play stages in any order. All that matters is beating every boss to get the ending. Metroid 2: Return of Samus Developer: Nintendo R&D1Release Date: November 1991 Metroid 2: Return of Samus introduced several features and design elements that would move on to become mainstays of the series. And it was also the first Metroid to be designed for a handheld Nintendo console. The game picks off after the events of the original NES Metroid. You play as Samus, the space bounty hunter who’s on a mission to wipe out Metroids from their home planet called SR388. You have this power suit that gives you special abilities. These abilities can either be mobility-oriented or designed to damage enemies. Super Mario Land Developer: Nintendo R&D1Release Date: July 31, 1989 It’s yet another Mario platformer game. The gameplay is lifted straight from Super Mario Bros. for the NES but slightly tweaked to work on a much smaller display. Some other things have also been changed. Like the location, which is a new place called Sarasaland. This world contains 12 stages rendered beautifully in a monochrome line art style. Princess Daisy has replaced Princess Peach, and Mario now throws balls that bounce off surfaces. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of The Foot Clan Developer: KonamiRelease Date: August 1990 A lot of kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on TV. This game is based on the 1987 animated show, and it has a lot of the same plot points/ characters. It’s a platformer where the 4 turtle brothers fight the Foot Clan to save April O’Neil from Shredder. Samurai Shodown Developer: SNKRelease Date: November 1994 Initially, fighting games were best played on arcade machines until the 16-bit console era where you got true to arcade ports. Still, there really wasn’t any good fighting game for handheld consoles. Until a port of Samurai Shodown showed up on the Game Boy. Most fighting games such as Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter are based in the current era. They feature martial artists, pro fighters, mercenaries, mutants, etc. as playable characters. But Samurai Shodown is set in feudal Japan and focuses on weapon combat instead of hand-to-hand combat. Super R.C. Pro-Am Developer: RareRelease Date: June 1991 The Game Boy has platformers, RPGs, action games, and fighting games. But what about racing games? Well, Super R.C. Pro-Am is pretty much the best racing game on this console (not that there are many, to begin with). One of the highlight features of this game is the fact that you can hook up a 4-person multiplayer with the Game Link Cable. And you don’t drive actual cars. Instead, the game features radio-controlled cars that race on ovals and road circuits. Each track has certain environmental hazards strewn along the way. You’ve got oil spills, sand patches, and water puddles. You also have certain power-up items that provide speed boosts, HP shields, etc. Final Fantasy Adventure Developer: SquareRelease Date: November 1991 While it bears the name “Final Fantasy”, there aren’t a whole lot of similarities between this game and the original NES Final Fantasy. In fact, it plays more like Legend of Zelda with some extra RPG systems added in. The Mana series of games got their start from here, with Final Fantasy Adventure. It was intended to be a flagship RPG for handheld consoles, similar to Final Fantasy on NES and SNES. Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge Developer: KonamiRelease Date: August 1991 A sequel to Castlevania: The Adventure, Belmont’s Revenge takes place 15 years after the events of the previous game. The famed vampire hunter Christopher Belmont is preparing a feast for his son Soleil, to celebrate his coming of age. However, Dracula kidnaps Soleil and turns him into one of his minions. After taking over Soleil’s body, Dracula has increased his power and builds back the Transylvania castle. Christopher Belmont rides in once again to defeat his arch-nemesis. He is armed with the usual weapons- holy water and magic axes. Space Invaders Developer: TaitoRelease Date: October 1994 When you look back at the origins of video gaming, what comes to mind? Probably titles like Tetris, Pong, and Space Invaders. So ubiquitous is the formula for this game that several cheap mobile game knockoffs have been created over the past few decades. It’s really simple, you’re moving a spaceship horizontally across the bottom of your screen. It shoots projectiles at incoming alien fighters/ bombers. Each level has a different pattern of enemy waves, and occasionally you’ll run into boss battles with much larger enemy ships. Mole Mania Developer: Nintendo EADRelease Date: February 1997 So, you’re playing as a mole called Muddy (I know, really creative name). And you’ve got to move a ball from one end of the screen to another, so it can pass through the finish line. Pretty simple, right? Not exactly. You see, there are obstacles along the way. And Muddy can dig around or underneath these obstacles to create new paths where he can push, pull, or throw the ball. Trip World Developer: SunsoftRelease Date: November 27, 1992 (Japan) and 1993 (EU) You’ve got a family-friendly bunny character on a quest to retrieve a really important magical object that will return peace to his world. I know, super exciting and never done before in any platformer game. But seriously, Trip World is actually a lot of fun despite being cliché. The gameplay involves platforming across various levels based on natural environments like forests, mountains, etc. You can switch between 3 forms. Each form offers unique benefits like swimming, flying, etc. Avenging Spirit Developer: C.P. BrainRelease Date: December 1992 The story for this one is quite interesting. You play as a ghost who was murdered by a gang of hooligans, and they stole your girlfriend before killing you. Her father happens to be a man who dabbles with the spiritual realm, researching ghosts. He brings you back into this world, and you find out that you can take control of other people’s bodies. You can control one of 4 unique characters at the start, and they all have distinct abilities. You can also attack enemies by temporarily taking control of their bodies. X Developer: Argonaut GamesRelease Date: May 29, 1992 (Japan Only) Seems like a weird choice, calling a game “X”. However, the ambiguous name makes sense for a futuristic space fighter simulator. Even your ship is called a weird collection of roman numerals- VIXIV. Unlike space invaders, you don’t move a fighter along a horizontal line. Instead, you are placed inside the cockpit for a first-person flying experience. And the game gives you missions that vary from cargo delivery to taking out enemy bases. CHALVO 55 Developer: Japan Supply SystemRelease Date: February 21, 1997 (Japan Only) This one’s a bit of a rare gem, and it’s really hard to get your hands on because the release was Japan exclusive. CHALVO 55 is a simple platformer at first glance, but it’s nothing like Mario or other platformers of that era. Instead of relying on you moving from the left to the right while jumping on enemies, CHALVO features labyrinthian levels with puzzle elements. You can transform from your regular humanoid robot mode into a ball mode that lets you bounce off surfaces. And in regular mode, you can drag or push blocks around to create new pathways around each level. Cave Noire Developer: KonamiRelease Date: April 19, 1991 (Japan only) It’s one of the earliest rogue-like games ever, and that too on a handheld game console. Cave Noire is all about player freedom and choice, with 10 different levels of difficulty. The difficulty level you choose will decide how much HP you start with, the types of enemies you fight, etc. The turn-based combat system in this game is rather unique. There are 4 stages in each cycle- player movement, player attack, enemy movement, and finally enemy attack. You see things from an overhead perspective, and quests let you free trapped fairies or fight monsters. The Sword of Hope Developer: KemcoRelease Date: June 1991 A game in which you play as an exiled prince who’s trying to prevent his own father from destroying a once-great kingdom. Theo, the main character is a skilled fighter raised by sages and martial artists. He was rescued from the palace when the King went mad and started killing everyone who opposed his tyrannical plans. You eventually mature into a heroic warrior and make your way back to the castle where you were born. Revenge against your father is the primary goal, and you’ll face various bosses on each stage. Unlike many other RPGs of the era, you play from a first-person perspective. Batman: The Video Game Developer: SunsoftRelease Date: June 1990 If you watched the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie starring Michael Keaton, you’ll recognize a lot of the landscapes and villain designs in this game. Even if you didn’t watch the movie, don’t worry because this game is a joy to play through for Batman fans. Gotham City feels like a living, breathing place that’s actively trying to kill you. You can duck, jump, and climb on conveniently placed stacks of boxes. The goal of this game is to stop Joker and his lackeys from causing all sorts of trouble in Gotham City. You can use a variety of weapons including batarangs (no grappling hook though). Donkey Kong Land III Developer: RareRelease Date: October 27, 1997 The counterpart to Donkey Kong Country on SNES, Donkey Kong Land features the same characters within a different story. You have some characters inspired by designs from Donkey Kong Country 3, as are level layouts and environments. Each stage is easy to navigate through but hidden areas are containing special items for those who feel extra adventurous. Sound effects are really impressive for a Game Boy title, and they match story pacing perfectly to create a feeling of joy or tension. Bionic Commando Developer: Minakuchi EngineeringRelease Date: September 19, 1992 Bionic Commando first came out on NES, but a port was eventually released for Game Boy. As you can guess from the name, it’s a game about blowing stuff up with guns and explosives. That’s precisely what you’ll do as Rad Spencer, a futuristic super soldier decked out with all kinds of awesome tactical gear. Contra: The Alien Wars Developer: KonamiRelease Date: November 1994 You’ve got a couple of special ops cigar-chomping macho men armed with extremely large firearms and tasked with defeating an invading alien army. Don’t worry, they require no backup. With all the lasers, minigun rounds, grenades, and bombs you throw at these aliens I’m surprised they decided to attack Earth in the first place. Some stages are side-scrolling while others give you an overhead view for a more tactical approach to situations. Bubble Bobble Developer: TaitoRelease Date: March 1991 There are two dragons called Bub and Bob, one is blue while the other is green. Their girlfriends have been kidnapped by some evil guys hiding out in a cave that’s called the Cave of Monsters. These dragons can blow their enemies into bubbles, which can then be popped to drop items. Parodius Developer: KonamiRelease Date: April 5, 1991 It’s simultaneously an excellent action game and one of the best parodies ever made of a Konami shooter. Parodius is a cute’ em up in which you play as famous characters from Konami’s Gradius series of games. You pilot a futuristic fighter aircraft across a horizontally scrolling 2D screen while avoiding enemies and shooting up anyone who gets in your way. Catrap Developer: AsmikRelease Date: September 1990 A puzzle game in which you control a couple of anthropomorphic cats across maze-like levels filled with enemies and random objects. You can kick these obstacles out of your way to clear a path and get to the end of each stage. You’ll often have to rethink your approach in subsequent levels as obstacle density and difficulty increase. Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs’ Big Break Developer: KonamiRelease Date: February 1992 Babs the bunny is trying to become the next big star, but Montana Max won’t let him. So he teams up with a bunch of his anthropomorphic animal buddies to shoot stuff and collect a bunch of gems across 2D platformer levels. Yeah, I know the plot doesn’t make any sense. But the story isn’t why anyone plays these types of games, so what about gameplay?. It’s pretty good since weapons for each character feel unique and satisfying. Plus, you can spend gems to play minigames for extra lives/ power-ups. R- Type Developer: IremRelease Date: May 1991 This one’s like Solar Striker, but it’s horizontally scrolling. You’ve got a similar but different story in which you’re a hero protecting all of mankind against invasive alien species. Solar Striker power-ups focus primarily on damage boosts, but here in R-Type they also give you a shield. Apart from hordes of enemy ships, you also have to contend with hostile terrain that pops up in your way. Boss designs are pretty awesome too. Instead of generic spaceships, you’ve got giant alien monsters with tentacles and weird-looking heads. Solar Striker Developer: Nintendo R&D1Release Date: February 2, 1990 A vertical scrolling 2D shooter similar to Space Invaders. The main difference is that you go up and sideways instead of across the screen. You get power-ups for your spaceship that increase your weapon damage. There’s even a power-up that causes your shots to explode upon impact, clearing large groups of enemies in very little time. You will come up against special ships or mini-bosses every once in a while, with proper bosses reserved for the end of the level. Game & Watch Gallery Developer: Nintendo R&D1Release Date: 1997 It’s a collection of 4 different sub-games featuring Mario, Princess Peach, and other characters from the Mushroom Kingdom. You’ve got a game mode in which you play as Yoshi trying to fill in the gaps on platforms by holding up a manhole so people don’t fall down. Then there’s another mode in which Mario tries to prevent an area from filling up with leaking oil. Legend of the River King Developer: Victor Interactive SoftwareRelease Date: August 1998 It’s a game about fishing. In Harvest Moon, you play as a farmer, in Legend of the River King you play as a fisherman. But the gameplay is actually deep and you have to talk with townsfolk who give you tips on the best fishing locations. You must purchase and equip the correct rod, bait, and lure. Plus, the story requires you to catch a specific type of rare fish that will cure your sister’s disease. Oh, and monsters are lurking in the waters. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers Developer: KonamiRelease Date: December 1, 1991 This is a true classic for any TMNT fan, and it features the 4 turtle brothers in their prime as they take on the Foot Clan. The mannerisms, dialogue, and animations are absolutely on point for each turtle. You have levels that are simple 2D side-scrollers, and more open parts of the map where you can move “across” the screen. Like the previous game (Fall of the Foot Clan), you can switch between the 4 turtles depending on which style you prefer. Donatello has good range but attacks slowly, while Raphael is swift but only effective in close quarters. Leonardo and Michelangelo are a balance of the two extremes, and all 4 turtles have their signature weapons. Dr. Mario Developer: Nintendo R&D1Release Date: October 1, 1990 A falling-block puzzler, similar to Tetris. But this time, you’ve got Mario playing the role of a doctor. He is trying to keep you nice and healthy, getting rid of all the disease in your body. So Mario decides to toss colored vitamin capsules down from the top of the screen. And you can arrange them in groups of 4 capsules that have the same color. Doing so will cause the capsules to disappear, and you must prevent these from reaching the top of your play area. Faceball 2000 Developer: Xanth Software F/XRelease Date: December 10, 1991 Way back in 1987, a first-person shooter was developed for the Atari ST personal computer. It was called MIDI Maze and is the first multiplayer FPS ever to have deathmatch. Later, a port was released for the Game Boy and it was called Faceball 2000. The gameplay is rudimentary, you’ve got a maze with flat-shaded walls and enemy players who look like cheap Pac-Man rip-offs. Turning left to right and shooting while moving forward is what you’ll do (this came out before DOOM). And it actually feels smooth unlike other shooters of the era with forced 90° only turns. Donkey Kong Land Developer: RareRelease Date: June 26, 1995 SNES had Donkey Kong Country, Game Boy got Donkey Kong Land instead. Donkey Kong Land features a similar art style, character sprites, and sound effects. But the plotline is entirely different, and it takes place after the events of Donkey Kong Country. The main screen lets you select your world, of which there are 4. Every world has 7 stages except for the first one, which has 9 stages. Mechanics like KONG letters and animal buddies carry over from Donkey Kong Country. QIX Developer: TaitoRelease Date: May 1990 A primitive, yet extremely entertaining puzzle game about lines. You have this rectangular play area at the start of each level, with a Qix in the middle. The Qix is a colored line that moves around randomly while you draw lines of your own to shrink the screen. You can draw lines slowly or quickly. Areas that get completed before the Qix touches them are awarded points. You lose lives if the Qix gets to your line before you’ve completed it. Yakuman Developer: Intelligent Systems, NintendoRelease Date: April 21, 1989 (Japan only) Nintendo initially started out making playing cards and toys, so it makes sense that they release a Mahjong game for the Game Boy. Yakuman is a launch title and exclusive to Japan. The game follows Japanese mahjong rules with 4 players and tiles. You basically accumulate points by drawing and discarding tiles until someone gets a winning hand. Street Fighter II Developer: Sun L, CapcomRelease Date: September 1995 Believe it or not, Capcom actually released a version of Street Fighter II for the Game Boy. What sorcery they pulled off to run a game like that on a primitive 8-bit handheld is beyond me. But corners have been cut. There is no Vega, Dhalsim, or E. Honda. And the character sprites are rather simplistic, to not cause issues with the Game Boy’s processor/ memory limitations. Still, you’ve got classic Street Fighter II gameplay with most of the moves carrying over from full-sized consoles. The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle Developer: KemcoRelease Date: March 1990 This game was called “Mickey Mouse” for its Japanese release. I don’t know why, because pretty much the entire game revolves around Bugs trying to rescue Honey Bunny from Wile E. Coyote. There are 80 levels in total with 8 carrots per level that you must collect to advance. It's a side-scrolling platformer without any jumping, which is odd. But the gameplay accommodates this change by providing you with alternate routes so enemies can be bypassed. You also have special items like boxing gloves, potions, giant weights, etc. that can be used against enemies. Conclusion These days, we’re seeing a massive resurgence of the mobile gaming craze. Not just Android and iOS games, but proper AAA games thanks to the Nintendo Switch and handheld PCs. With Valve releasing the Steam Deck- a portable handheld gaming PC, who knows what the future holds for gaming on the move? It can be argued that Nintendo’s Game Boy laid the foundation of this massive mobile gaming market we have today. It was followed by the Game Boy Advance, DS, and Switch but the basic formula hasn’t changed. Back then we had Pokémon Red & Blue, now we have Pokémon Go.